As always, visiting it is a call to travel. Until May 28, the Musée du quai Branly puts the kimono in the spotlight in a sublime exhibition. Focus on the genesis and representation of this clothing symbol on the borders of a Japanese culture that influences the rest of the world and lets itself be influenced by it.
The kimono, “what is worn”
It's the ultimate Japanese symbol, the one you instantly think of when thinking about the richness of Japanese culture. Revered in Japan as the embodiment of national culture and sensibility, the Kimono exhibit emphasizes its social and sartorial aesthetic...
The Edo era, the heyday of the kimono
It was in the 17th century, during the Edo period , that the kimono experienced its true golden age. Refined, delicate and distinguished, these precious clothes that the elite snatched up are the subject of a production in full growth that we owe to the merchant class, located at the bottom of the Japanese hierarchy. Despite a rather rigorous case law aimed at limiting a consumerism exclusively focused on appearance, kimonos proliferate and cause a sensation, all social strata combined.
The Meiji period, opening up to the world
It's time for change: Japan is gradually exchanging with the rest of the world, and is beginning to intertwine its culture with that of other countries. Obviously, the craze for the kimono is spreading all over the world, its straight and draped forms blowing a wind of innovation in Western culture.
His metamorphoses
After World War II , the entertainment world took hold of the kimono which took the lead in pop culture . We know Freddie Mercury 's passion for kimonos! The ones they wore on stage were flamboyant and full of shimmering colors, like the softer colored ones he only wore in private.
We also think of the futuristic alter ego of David Bowie who wore a white satin costume inspired by the kimono with its widened sleeves and its painting of Japanese inspiration.
Nowadays, antique kimonos are being revitalized by young people who wear them and by fashion designers who continue to mix tradition and subversive innovation with them.
The route of the exhibition
Nearly 200 kimonos to admire, but also pieces associated with it: sublime Japanese prints , geta (these sandals with thick wooden soles with a fabric strap that passes between the toes, like flip-flops), silk crepe fabrics … Everything here inspires a change of scenery and tells the story of this refined garment that spans centuries, eras and continents.
Kimono , until May 28 at the Musée du Quai Branly , open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Also discover Zadkine, the superb must-see exhibition
